Origin

It is now just another word for Christmas, but Yule comes from the Old Norse word jól, a pagan festival at the winter solstice that lasted for twelve days. Germanic and Scandinavian pagans celebrated it in late December or early January, and when they adopted Christianity they simply changed the nature of the festival, turning jól into Christmas. In Old English Yule meant ‘December or January’ and also ‘Christmas and its festivities’. Jolly (Middle English) from Old French jolif ‘merry, handsome, lively’, may come ultimately from the same Old Norse root.

noun (plural jollies)

In the old days, this meant sending jolly boats ashore and sacking a town, as Captain Henry Morgan did throughout the Spanish colonies at Portobello, Maracaibo, and Panama City in the late 17th century.

Redwing ordered them to lower the anchor, and they got into the jolly boats and went ashore.

Then the crew, minus the few who were to stand watch, piled into the jolly boats to go ashore.

Origin

It is now just another word for Christmas, but Yule comes from the Old Norse word jól, a pagan festival at the winter solstice that lasted for twelve days. Germanic and Scandinavian pagans celebrated it in late December or early January, and when they adopted Christianity they simply changed the nature of the festival, turning jól into Christmas. In Old English Yule meant ‘December or January’ and also ‘Christmas and its festivities’. Jolly (Middle English) from Old French jolif ‘merry, handsome, lively’, may come ultimately from the same Old Norse root.